Secret Treasure
by fireywolfchild
Summary: The team goes on a rescue mission in the Makai, but is there more to this youko girl than it seems? Why is Kurama acting so weird and is Hiei in on it? HieixKurama OCx?
1. Rescue

AN: This is my first story, I hope you enjoy it. I have had this story stuck in my head for a good many years now and i have finally gotten around to writing it out.I hope this turns out as well as it has in my mind as it does on paper... er, computer. This is a HieixOC story.

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Secret Treasure

A tall red-haired man lifted a ring of large, rusted keys from the carcass at his feet. Nodding to his shorter partner, he lifted them up and tilted his head to indicate the corridor to his left. His comrade merely nodded in response, sheathing his blade silently as he moved to follow the redhead through the corridor.

"_Are you sure she's in here, fox?"_ the shorter one asked telepathically as they both peered into each of the barred cells. He sneered at some of the sights he was greeted with, hoping their charge wasn't in such a horrid condition; he wasn't looking forward to the task of restraining his partner's anger, restraining his own was enough of a problem.

The redhead nodded, _"Yes, I am sure of it, I can feel her. It's very faint, but it's definitely her. We need to hurry."_ He quickened his pace as the words sounded in the mind of his cohort, who followed suit.

Nearly skidding to a halt, the taller male swiftly turned, eyes widening as they fell upon the lone figure in the center of the cell before him. "A… Amane…" He whispered softly, his voice wavering in disbelief as his eyes roamed over the prone body, unconsciously stepping closer to the bars, too stunned to do anything more for a moment, dropping the ring of keys.

"Fox?" The slight hint of worry in his teammate's voice snapped the redhead back to reality and into action.

Swiping the keys from the dirty stone floor, he quickly picked one out and thrust it into the lock, jerking it back out again as it did not turn. Trying another, he growled in frustration, as it would not turn. Grabbing at a third key, he roughly shoved it in the keyhole, letting out a sigh of relief a it turned and unlocked the bar door and he swiftly flung it open, rushing inside and kneeling down in front of the unmoved figure lying on the cold stone floor.

Hiei looked around before entering the cell to stand next to his partner, brows furrowing as he took in the condition the girl was in.

The girl was lying mostly on her stomach, but somewhat on her right side, her back to the opened cell door, facing the two men. She was obviously a youko, though her tail and ears were dirtied and looked mangled and worn, most likely from abuse and manhandling. There was more evidence of abuse in the myriad cuts and bruises adorning most of her body, her back striped in slashes and welts, as from a whip. Her hair fell over part of her face, obscuring some of it from view, and fell over her shoulders and back, covering some of her wounds. Her ankles were bound together in rough iron manacles with a thick chain connecting them together and to the floor; her wrists were in a similar condition, only that chain connected to the wall she was facing. She had her arms folded beneath her chest, hands below and off to the side of her chin, somewhat hiding her bosom whereas her clothes did not as they were nothing better than rags, shredded and torn. She was wearing what would have been a tube top of some kind of diaphanous fabric and a long skirt split down each side seemingly from the same material; judging from the outfit, it seemed she was made to be a performer or dancer, which most likely lead to worse, for her, anyway. Her face was smudged with dirt and blood, a few scrapes and cuts scattered about on her cheeks and forehead, Hiei frowned when he realized one set of slashes on the cheek he could see was indeed a set of slashes, from claws. Overall, she seemed in no critical danger from any of the wounds, but, if left untreated, it could become fatal.

Noticing his partner shaking, the Jagan master frowned. "Fox?"

Reaching a shaking hand out, the redhead brushed back some of the hair that obscured his view of the girl's face as gently as he could, still eliciting a soft whimper of pain from her lips. "Amane…" He whispered as his fingertips gently ran down an unscathed part of her forehead and cheek. Closing his eyes, the plant-wielder clenched his hands into fists at his sides. "Hiei, cut her loose." He bit his lip to keep his anger from boiling over, he needed to focus on her, not what he wanted to do to the demons that… He sighed, shaking his head of those thoughts as he shifted to give Hiei room to work.

Hiei unsheathed his sword and knelt down on one knee to examine the chains binding the manacles together at her wrists and those at her ankles. Turning to the thicker chain from the wall, he slashed at it once, severing it like ribbon, shifting, he did the same to the chain from the floor. Looking over to his partner, he gestured to the girl. "Turn her a bit, Kurama."

Nodding, Kurama did as he was told, tenderly shifting the girl to lie more on her side, but also almost on her back, letting her body lean against his without pressing against any wounds. The girl hissed in pain at the adjustment, brows furrowing, her face contorting in pain. "Shhh… It's alright… you're fine." Kurama soothed the girl, his soft tones a gentle, sibilant whisper as he stroked her hair softly.

Hiei spread her legs apart a bit, examining the tight fetters on her ankles. "Is there a key to unlock them? I'll only be able to sever the chains."

Kurama looked at his stolen ring of keys and shook his head. "I'm afraid not, some other guard must have them. We just need to make sure she's able to move freely, I can get the binds off of her later. We just need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Hn." With that, Hiei took the chain in hand and, in two quick slices, removed the chain from both rings around her ankles.

"Ung…" The girl stirred, moaning softly in pain, her eyes opening blearily. "Wha…" Her eyes snapped open, wide with fear, as she saw a man with a sword and felt arms around her upper torso and waist. Panicking, she writhed and struggled in the arms, gasping in pain as she moved. "No… no, get away…"

Kurama struggled to hold her still while not hurting her further. "Wait, it's okay, we're here to help. We're not going to hurt you." Kurama gasped out in surprise and pain as she elbowed him in his lower stomach. He held her tighter against him, so she could only barely wiggle around, Kurama whispered in her ear. "It's okay, we're not going to hurt you, we're going to get you out of her, okay? Be still." Whispering soothing words and gently rocking from side to side a bit, Kurama waited until she stopped struggling, mostly from exhaustion and lack of want to be in pain. "That's a good girl." Turning to Hiei, he nodded, shifting his arms on his ward. "Hiei, get her arms free."

Hiei nodded and slowly reached out to take hold of her arms. As he felt her body stiffen, he heard his partner soothing her again. He let her arms rest on top of Kurama's forearm, her hands hovering over the floor.

"He's only going to cut the chain, like he did your ankles." Kurama pointed to her feet, "see?"

Hiei grasped the chain in one hand and, feeling frightened eyes watching him, severed both ends of the chain slower than usual, to let her see his movements. When he was finished, he shifted back a bit and sheathed his sword. "Finished."

Kurama then shifted and turned her a bit to lean against his chest. "See? Now, hold still so I can check some of these cuts." Seeing the relief wash over the girl's face as she realized they were not trying to trick her, Hiei noticed she was still shivering. As Kurama checked over some of her wounds, frowning at some and sighing at others, Hiei removed his cloak.

"Later, Fox. We need to get out of here." Hiei curtly whispered, draping his cloak over the girl's shoulders, the dark cloth both covering her and warming her. "More demons are approaching." With that, he abruptly stood and flitted out of the cell, and a few seconds later, the two heard a quite 'thump' of something falling to the floor.

"Alright, let's get you out of here, okay?" At the girl's quiet nod, he swept an arm under her knees and held her close to his chest as he stood effortlessly hefting her weight. Stepping out of the cell, he turned his head to see Hiei signaling him to follow.

Running up the stairs and through corridors, they disappeared into a shadowy corner, only to slip through a concealed break in the wall and slip out of the fortress. Stopping for a moment, they listened to the sounds coming from within the oppressive building. Yusuke and Kuwabara were obviously doing their job. Kurama smiled at his best friend, who only rolled his eyes as he heard a rather loud scream that obviously came from Kuwabara. "Thank you for your help, Hiei." The redhead whispered softly as he gazed at the, once again, sleeping girl in his arms.

"Hn." Hiei grunted in response, shifting the cloak to better enclose the girl. "Let's go."

Running again, they fled to the cover of the trees of a nearby forest, jumping from branch to branch until they came to a small clearing deep within. Kurama jumped down to land at the base of a rather large tree, kneeling down to lay his charge down on the soft grass. The girl whimpered a bit as the ground pressed against some of her more painful wounds.

Kurama fussed over the girl frantically, haphazardly bandaging wounds and petting her hair, trying to calm her as they waited for their comrades. "Hiei, how far is Mukuro's fortress from here?" The fox directed worry-filled eyes towards his best friend, his hands wringing the sash of his tunic fretfully. "She needs treatment, now." His voice allowed for no argument, though Hiei didn't think he could refuse the fox with this, especially not when he felt the full force of the youko's determined and yet somehow, pleading eyes on him.

"Hn. Give her to me, I'm faster." Hiei sighed as he crouched down, letting Kurama put the girl in his arms. "I'll contact the detective and tell him to head there." With that, he flitted off, Kurama at his heels.

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Well, I'll leave you all here for now, this was basically just a prologue, an introductory if you will. I do hope you have enjoyed this little bit of my story, I hope to update another chapter in the next week or two. I'll see you all then, Bye!


	2. Healing

Hello again readers! I apologize for the long delay of this chapter, I have been unusually busy this winter break and I have been having problems with my internet. But, better late than never, I suppose! And a great many thanks to my Betareader, Diamondsinthenight, for editing my story, I greatly appreciate it. Anyway, enjoy the story and happy reading!

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Guards' shouts filled the air as they sensed the heir approaching. Shouts of "Open the gates!" and "It's Heir Hiei!" were heard 50 meters away as demons scramble to obey orders and stand at attention.

Hiei snorted in annoyance, flitting past the guards, keeping the girl in his arms concealed as much as possible. Not that the guards would pry, for fear of a sword through the chest, no, it was only to keep curious eyes from seeing and rumors from spreading. Hiei glared fleetingly at such eyes, which quickly averted their gaze. Stopped briefly before the guards at the large fortress doors, Hiei looked pointedly at one, fiery red eyes dared a challenge. "You are to allow my teammates entrance when they arrive, understood?" Hiei practically growled at the guard, who nodded minutely.

"Understood, Lord Hiei."

Nodding, Hiei flitted inside, blurring into the throne room, before a calm Lord Mukuro, who jumped to her feet as she saw her heir carried what seemed to be a very weak demon girl. "Mukuro," his voice showed some trace of urgency, but nothing more as he spoke. The single word gave the Lord all she needed to know and she turned, walking briskly to a door, not needing to wait to know the demon followed.

"The tanks are all empty, I assume your teammates are close behind. Is this the only in need of healing?" Mukuro led them through a series of twists and turns, and arrived finally in a room occupied only by four large tanks and what seemed to be a control panel.

Hiei grunted. "As far as I know." He waited impatiently, as always, as Mukuro hastily fiddled and bent over the control panel. There was a soft click and whirring sound as one of the tanks opened, revealing simply an empty space, with only a ledge jutting out from the back wall, almost a meter from the ground.

Without prodding or delay, the fire demon stepped over to the open tank and gently set the unconscious girl on the ledge. In a blur, the cloak was withdrawn from her body, to be tossed to the ground.

"You'll need to take those clothes off her, they'll get in the way and they might contaminate it." Mukuro commented as Hiei set the girl inside, not even looking up from the panel, focused on her own task.

"I know." Hiei snapped as he stripped the girl of her so-called clothing. Holding his charge steady, lest she fall over, he glanced over at the lord as he attached the breathing mask in place.

"Almost, Hiei, just a few seconds." Mukuro drawled, knowing her impatient heir's question without asking.

In that moment, the door jerked open to allow a certain redhead inside. "Hiei? How is—" the fox demon stopped as he saw his partner supporting the girl in the tank.

"Calm down, you over dramatic fox," Hiei grunted as Mukuro nodded to him and he stepped back from the chamber.

The door hissed as it slid up to the top, shutting and locking with a click. The three onlookers watched as small, vine-like mechanical wires wrapped themselves around the slumped over occupant as a transparent light-green liquid slowly filled the chamber. Mukuro fussed over the controls as the wires coxed the limp body to stand in the center of the rush of liquid.

Hiei glanced fleetingly at his comrade as the fluid lifted the girl's body slightly, filling the cistern completely. A soft cross between a sigh and gasp left the lips of the tense redhead. Bending down to retrieve his cloak, the fire demon strode over to his partner's side, offering some kind of support to the fox.

"Now," A voice cut through the silence softly, almost reverently. The two demons looked over to the ruler at the controls. "I believe there is some explanation behind all of this?" Tweaking the controls minutely until she was satisfied, the lord strolled towards the two demons. At Kurama's reluctantly opening mouth, she held up a hand, silencing him in a moment. "I do not need more than you are willing, I am just wondering if I am allowed to know how you came across this demon and what made you help her." She glanced at the girl in the tank momentarily. "As far as I know, she is not one of your team or any special family or even the spirit world."

Kurama stepped forward, nodding. "That is mostly true, Lord Mukuro. However, she is—"

"Mukuro. How many times must I tell you all to simply call me Mukuro in private?" The lord smirked. "You are, basically, part of my heir's family. Oh, Hiei, stop growling at me." She scoffed at the fierce growl emanating from said demon's throat. "You shouldn't be so stubborn."

Hiei snorted, glaring at the seemingly stupid lord.

Mukuro rolled her eyes. "Okay, Kurama, tell me more about this demon." She prodded gently but firmly at the smirking fox.

Kurama sighed. "I can't tell you everything, but I can tell you that Koenma sent us to rescue her from a slave lord. Yusuke and Kuwabara may still be back there taking care of the demons, while Hiei and I searched for her." Kurama worriedly wrung the bottom of his tunic in his hands, watching the inert girl floating in the water. "Koenma said she was important for something…" He trailed off, his eyes steadfastly fixated on the girl.

Hiei cut in. "Koenma said to get her and bring her back alive, so we did." He snorted as if to say 'there, see?'

Mukuro nodded. "Yes, alright, but why is she so—"

The door opened with a soft thud against the wall as Yusuke and Kuwabara came in. Rather boisterously, Yusuke jumped over to Kurama with a yell, draping an arm around the fox demon's shoulders. "Yo!"

"Hey guys, how is the girl?" Kuwabara, being the oblivious fool, asked the stupid question, earning him a few incredulous looks.

"You stupid oaf, she's in the regeneration tank." Hiei retorted, sneering at the tall buffoon, still wondering why exactly he was on the team in the first place.

"Hey, Shrimp! Can't a guy ask a simple damn question!?" Kuwabara yelled, storming over to the diminutive fire demon.

"Yusuke," Kurama called to his friend, ignoring the two quarrelling behind them, "What about the demons? And the fortress?"

Yusuke took his arm off Kurama, stepping to face the half-human, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "The fortress is all ruins now, there's no way they'll be able to rebuild it or salvage anything. We destroyed all of the lesser slave lords, that's for sure." He sighed a bit before continuing. "The walls came tumbling down on our heads when we delivered the last blow to the leader. I'm pretty sure we got him; I couldn't sense him anymore. We looked over some of the ruins, we didn't see anything that seemed like it was our guy, so I think he's buried beneath."

"Let's hope so, for her sake if anything else." Kurama said softly, getting a nod in response. "But, to be safe, we should keep a watch out for a while, he may come after her again."

"Why do you think he would, Kurama?"

The fox demon jumped a bit, too wrapped up in his worry to notice the demon lord coming up beside him.

"Geez, Fox-boy, relax a bit, we're all safe here." Yusuke laid a comforting hand on his friend's tense shoulder. Never before has Kurama acted in such an anxious way; it was both new and worrisome for the detective.

"Kurama…" Mukuro prodded, wanting an answer.

The redhead sighed; he couldn't get out of this one even if he tried. 'Might as well get it over with now.' He thought to himself. "The girl, Amane, we rescued her from a slave lord. I believe he has an invested interest in her, more than a slave, I mean, but not in a good way. I fear that, if he still lives, he will continue hunting her until he uses her for his purpose, which bodes ill for us, obviously."

"If he wants her, let'im try," Yusuke boasted, once again draping an arm around the fox's shoulder. "No one can defeat us."

"Yeah! You got that right, Urameshi!" Boomed Kuwabara from behind the detective, nothing could penetrate the pride and ego of these two idiots, not to mention their skulls.

"Baka!" Hiei growled, standing between the so-called fool and the demon lord. "If that slave lord comes for her, _you_ won't know it until she's gone!"

"What's that supposed to mean, ya shrimp!?" Kuwabara yelled.

"Hiei's probably right, if he tries to recapture her, she may be long gone before we can do anything." Kurama's voice wavered a bit, breaking into a whisper. "If so, that spells disaster for all of us."

"Kurama, what's up with you? You alright, bud?" Yusuke observed the fox demon worriedly.

Kurama nodded, but his attention seemed to drift off somewhere else as his eyes stared down at nothing.

"Hey, what's eatin' you, fox-boy?" Kuwabara slapped the fox demon on the back. The fox stumbled forward a bit with a small yelp, startled out of his train of thought; of course, he was able to catch himself before he fell to the ground.

A gasp and a bubble of noise cut her off and she turned to see the girl in the tank, once peacefully floating, now writhing and flailing, bubbles coming from the tube to the air mask, taking in the liquid through a slit. Rushing over to the control panel, Mukuro hastily stopped the process, making the machine start draining, though the speed was not quick enough for the gasping and choking girl.

"Hiei!" Kurama yelled urgently, glancing desperately towards his friend.

Hiei dashed forward and smashed the pommel of his sword into the glass door. Shattering instantly with a rush of liquid, the glass fell like ice, as did the girl. Kurama gasped, watching the girl fall, not being supported by the rejuvenating water anymore and only the small cords wrapped around her, giving minimal support. Hiei threw his sword aside, having no time for anything more, and jumped up, snatching the girl in the air, bending over her to protect her from the falling shards as he held her up inside the chamber. "Detective! Get these damn cords off her!" Hiei shouted as he held the unresponsive body.

Running towards his teammate, Yusuke looked back towards his best friend. "Kuwabara, call Koenma. Have him send Botan, now!" Tossing the small, pink communicator device towards the taller man, he turned back to the fire demon; not bothering to make sure the orange-haired man caught the device. "Hold her steady, Hiei." After ripping the malfunctioned air tube apart, Yusuke pulled and tore at the cords, grunting in agitation at the amount of them. "Damn it already!" Frustrated, Yusuke focused his ki on his hand.

"Yusuke! You'll destroy the machine!" Kurama's voice of reason called out from where he was, helping Mukuro at the control panel. "You're too close!"

"Shit!" Yusuke cursed, brazenly, then his eyebrows shot up and a smirk crossed his face. "Got it. Hiei, hold her tight, she's gonna fall."

Hiei only grunted, rolling his eyes as if to say 'no shit' as he held the girl tighter, one arm on her waist, the other higher up on her back. "Hurry up, detective, I can't tell if she's breathing or not."

Yusuke nodded, "It'll just take a second." Reaching farther inside, he grabbed the cords supporting her back and head. At their connecting point to the tank, his hand glowing, he yanked hard, ripping the cords apart from the tank. The girl in Hiei's arms slumped forward in his grasp. Turning, Yusuke did the same to the cords supporting her right arm, which fell to her side, and then did the same for her other arm. Hiei adjusted her in his grasp so that she was lying almost flat against his chest, cords still encircling her. Leaning down, Yusuke hurried to do the same for the girl's legs. "There, all clear." He said as he stepped back out of the chamber.

Hiei stepped back out carefully, trying not to jostle the girl too much. Once he stepped clear of the glass shards, he lowered the girl to the ground on her back. Leaning away, and with a flick of his wrist, he tore the air mask from the girl's face. Shifting as he felt the detective crouch next to him, he began untangling the cords from around the girl.

Kurama let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he saw and heard the girl on the ground cough. Kurama knelt down to the ground beside his friends and the girl, turning her over onto her side; he brushed her hair away from her face, letting her cough the water out of her lungs.

Kuwabara closed the compact and knelt next to his best friend, looking across to the redhead. "Koenma said he's sent Botan through the nearest portal, she'll be here in a few minutes."

Kurama gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Kuwabara."

"You should get her into bed," Mukuro spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to where she stood, examining the machine. "She was in there long enough to heal most of her wounds, but even so, she will most likely panic if we put her in another tank." Mukuro turned towards the group. "The medicine within the water will ensure she doesn't wake for a good hour or so. I have a spare room she could use."

Kurama smiled minutely, nodding respectfully. "I… she would appreciate that, I think." Carefully, as if she might break, the fox demon picked up the smaller youko, cradling her tenderly against his chest. "If you would be so kind?" He spoke softly, tilting his head towards the door.

Mukuro nodded, "Certainly." With that, she led the human guised youko out the door.

All the while, Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged curious glances with each other. Turning towards the fire demon, Yusuke gave him a questioning glance. Hiei only shook his head and flitted off, probably to follow his Lord and the fox demon. Yusuke sighed. "Damn, what is up with them? Seriously!" The oblivious orange haired human grumbled, exasperated.

Yusuke stood, a determined look on his face. "Come on, Botan should be here soon." He stalked out of the room, his friend following.

Botan's hands glowed over the unconscious youko's chest for a moment more, before she withdrew them, pulling the blankets to cover her slender shoulders and body. "Well, I've done what I can, there's only minor scratches now." She stood back from the bed, unrolling her sleeves as she looked at the hovering redhead, inwardly grinning. "She'll be fine in a few hours, but she'll need to rest for a day or two to recover her youki."

Kurama nodded as he brushed some hair away from the girl's forehead. "Thank you Botan."

"Hey, Fox-boy! I want my answers!" Called an impatient Yusuke from a chair across the room.

"Yeah! What's going on, here?" An obnoxiously loud Kuwabara bellowed, earning him a quick glare from green eyes.

"Kuwabara," an eerily calm voice scolded, "please keep it down. And, I've told you, Yusuke, I'll answer your questions when I wish to. You'll have to wait un--" Kurama turned, a soft moan calling his attention to the figure on the bed. "Ah, you're awake finally." Kurama's sweet tone was obviously teasing as he watched tired eyes blinking open.

"You… I know you…" The youko winced a bit at the hoarseness in her voice, her throat feeling rough and dry. "Where…"

"Here, some water." The redhead held a cup for her to drink from, helping her to sit up with an arm at her back. Laying her back down when she finished, he set the cup to the side. "Good, you at least remember us rescuing you. You need not worry, you're in Lord Mukuro's fortress."

Startled eyes whipped up to look at the redhead. "What!? Why…" She pushed herself back a bit, fumbling, trying to sit up or back away from these apparent strangers.

"Calm down, it's alright, you're safe." Kurama reached out to comfort the youko. Yusuke stood to try and help, only making her jerk her head in his direction and panic even more, though now, she just froze. Kurama laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, only to feel her trembling. "It's alright, that's just Yusuke, he helped rescue you."

"Yu-Yusuke…"

The spirit detective nodded, grinning. "Yup. Urameshi Yusuke at your service." He tried to seem relaxed and non-threatening. "What's your name?"

"Amane." The youko looked back at the redhead hovering over her. "Who are you?"

Kurama inwardly winced, but smiled sweetly, patting the young fox demon on the head softly. "My name's Kurama." He gestured over to the fire demon on the window sill. "Hiei over there, and I were the ones that took you from the cell, remember?"

The youko nodded minutely. "I remember… Kurama…" Her eyes flashed a bit with something unrecognizable before it went away.

Kuwabara popped up beside Yusuke, making Amane flinch and sink back into the blankets. "Yo! I, Kuwabara Kazuma, will do anything I can--" Kuwabara bellowed unpleasantly, frightening the girl more.

"Baka! Fool!" A shout came from the window sill, "Can't you see you and your obnoxious voice are scaring her?" Hiei glared at the orange-haired human.

"What did you say, shrimp!?" The 'fool' yelled back at the fire demon, shaking his fist.

"Children!" Yusuke yelled, "Cut it out! You're scaring her!"

Both fighters glared at each other for a moment, turning away with a huff and mumbles.

"Kurama. I want to talk to you." He nodded toward the door. "Afterwards, Kuwabara, get Botan to get you back to Genkai, let her know what's happened.

Kurama sighed, but followed, turning to the youko for a moment. "We'll be back in a few minutes, okay? You stay here and rest." At the girl's nod, he followed the rest of his team out the door.

Yusuke turned to Kurama, arms folded across his chest. "Alright, Fox-boy, I want some answers."

Kurama inwardly sighed, leaning against the wall as he usually did, legs crossed at the ankles and arms crossed lightly over his chest. "I concede, Yusuke. What do you wish to know?"

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Oh, I left you hanging, didn't I? Yup! I thought it was a good place to stop. Anyway, please review if you like it. I love reading them. If you have any suggestions or theories for my story, please do send me an email or write them in a review, I really get inspired by them, and I most likely will use them, if you want.

Keep reading! I shall try to post the next chapter in the next week or so, so keep an eye out! See you next time!


	3. Answers?

I keep forgetting to do this, but here's the Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Yu Yu Hakusho, I wish I did, but I DON"T. This story and all original characters are mine, however! ^^ I'm awesome that way, huh?

Anyway, Enjoy!

Answers?

"What do you wish to know, Yusuke?"

"Why in the hell did Koenma send us on that mission?" Yusuke asked, tone angry yet unsure, apparently not knowing exactly what to ask now, when presented with the opportunity.

"Yusuke, we've gone over this; Koenma sent us to terminate those slave lords and slave traders and rescue… rescue the girl presently alone in that room." Kurama pointed to the door behind the detective.

Hiei scoffed at the detective's idiocy, leaning back against the wall, arms folded casually across his chest, his attempt to simply fade into the shadows somewhat foiled by his lack of his trademark cloak, still in the room. Not that he really cared anyway.

"But why her? Why just that demon girl?" Yusuke shouted louder than necessary, his already short fuse whittling down even more, his patience was wearing thin as well.

"She's a spec—"

"Yeah, yeah, she's special. You guys keep saying that! But why? What makes her so damned special?"

"She has certain abilities, skills, that could—"

"Certain skills!? If that were the only reason, we'd be going out finding demons all the time! Come on, Kurama!"

The green-eyed man sighed, putting a hand to his forehead, trying to hold in his growing frustration.

"_You don't need to tell them, you know."_ Hiei's voice broke through the haze, clear in the fox demon's mind.

"_You are right, there is no _need _to tell them, but I think they at least deserve to know."_

"_That does not obligate you to tell them. Do not forget who they are." _Hiei scoffed at the thought. _"If you want everyone in Makai to know, go ahead, but she—"_

"_I will be telling her soon, anyway!" _Kurama's voice fell quiet in Hiei's mind, his hand dropping to his side.

"Kurama!" Yusuke shouts, getting really tired of the sly fox's evasions.

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Amane laid in the bed, stiff as a board, well a shaking board anyway. She couldn't help it; sure, the bed was soft and warm, but she was just too anxious to relax and enjoy the rare delicacy. Body still sore in some places, throbbing in others, she tried to refrain from fidgeting, tried being the key word. One part of her told her to get the hell out and quick, but something else inside her said she was safe here.

'_I could get out through the window, well, if it isn't as high as it seems, but even then… it probably wouldn't be wise._' She contemplated, honey eyes scanning anything and everything visible through the nearby window, which wasn't much._ 'They said I was in Mukuro's fortress, so there are most likely guards galore outside. And even if, in the rare chance that I get past said guards, where the hell will I go? Even so, they'd probably hear me anyway, especially if they're standing just outside the door like I think they are.' _Amane sighed, rolling onto her side, curling up a bit under the covers.

'_Those guys… not all of them are demons, or at least full demons. They seem to get along well, though it's so odd. Are they working together or are they really acquaintances? Do those humans even know… No, that guy said we were at Mukuro's fortress, so I'm still in the Makai, so that must mean those humans really do know about demons.' _Amane stiffened, eyes widening_. 'What if those humans want to use me or experiment on me or something!? And they're just using those demons to get me!' _

Shivering slightly, Amane put a fist to her forehead, thinking quickly. Her other hand gripped the covers tightly, mentally anchoring herself, to keep her mind from wandering too far out into her imagination. _'No, stop thinking like that. Look at the reality, Amane.'_ She reprimanded herself mentally, shaking her head. _'Those humans, they didn't look like they would be interested in such things. They look too young, anyway. That Yusuke guy… he looked nice enough… when he wasn't yelling at… Kurama. But still…_'Amane winced a bit. She shook her head, willing the disturbing thoughts away.

'_Maybe, just… maybe…' _Relaxing, she uncurled a fraction. _'Maybe they really did rescue me just to help me. Maybe they really do care. But… why me?' _ A hopeful face falling into a frown, she felt skeptical once again.

'_How'd they find out about me then? How would they know about me if they weren't after something? How do they know about me if they aren't creeps? Why do they even bother? I'm just a slave…'_ The frown deepened, brows furling sadly, ears drooping and eyes watering, the youko curled up tighter, hands clasped tightly to her chest. A single tear slid down her cheek, along with her forlorn aspirations. _'Now, I'm just a slave._'

* * *

"Kurama." Yusuke's intense stare seemed out of place to the on looking redhead, not in character, but intimidating all the same. "How did Koenma know about that demon girl? About her powers?" His gaze pierced at him with anger. For whom was it truly directed at, Kurama had no idea, although he knew his teammate wasn't truly mad at him, but something more.

"Yusuke," the fox hesitated, "Koenma watches everything, everyone, how could he not see? He knows everyone, including their powers." He bit his lip, knowing not even Yusuke would take that, Kuwabara maybe, but not Yusuke.

"That's a load of crap, Kurama and you know it! How did he know where she was? How did he even know to look for her?"

Kurama faltered just slightly, looking down.

"Kurama!" Yusuke shouted sharply, accompanied by an equally loud smash. Splinters fell to the floor, Yusuke's fist embedded sideways in the wood of the large door behind him, fist level with his seething glare. "You know something, don't you? No, you know a lot of things to do with this."

The cornered fox flinched minutely.

"Damn it, Kurama! Answer!"

* * *

Sitting up, the youko girl trailed her fingers through the tangled auburn tail in her lap, wincing as a particularly large knot decided to make itself known. "Stupid knots. Stupid mud. Stupid grass." She muttered to herself as she diligently worked at untangling the wayward knot, trying to do the least amount of damage to her tail.

'_What I wouldn't give for… my brush and…' _She shook her head. _'No! I have to be strong. I'll get everything back, I will.'_ Pausing in her task, she put one hand to her chest, closing her eyes.

But only for a moment, as she yelped and snapped her hand away as if she'd been burned. "No." The quiet exclamation was questioning and incredulous. "Oh no." Patting herself down frantically, she sat up on her knees, looking every which way. _'Where is it? I can't lose it! Oh, god. What am I going to do if it's gone? That's…'_ Panic rising, she threw the blankets this way and that, throwing the pillows up in the air. _'Oh no. It's gone.'_

_

* * *

_

Kurama and Hiei stiffen as they hear a yelp and a thud emanating from the room on the other side of the wall. Yusuke and Kuwabara look startled, glancing at each other. "Yusuke, I need to get—"

Yusuke bodily blocks the door, crossing his arms over his chest in defiance. "No! I want my questions answered!" Hiei rolls his eyes and takes a step back away from his partner, ignoring the weird look from Kuwabara.

Green eyes flicker gold as Kurama stares intensely into Yusuke's eyes. "I'm sorry, Yusuke, but your questions will have to wait." Yusuke backed up against the door a bit more, shivering as Kurama flared his energy momentarily.

"I suggest you stand down, detective." Hiei cautioned the mazuko, smirking at the boy's obvious fear.

"Uh… Urameshi…" Kuwabara stuttered, stepping back himself. He stiffened even more when he heard another loud thud stemming from the other room.

"Yusuke, step aside. I will get to you later." Kurama pushed past Yusuke, jerking the door open, rushing into the room, Hiei followed suit.

"Damn it, Kurama!" Yusuke grabbed Kurama's arm, two steps into the room, jerking him back roughly. "I wanna know, now!"

Kurama swerved on his heel, glaring fiercely at the mazuko, eyes glowing gold.

Hiei carefully approached Amane, looking her over quickly, letting her stare. Glancing over at his confined partner, he picked up the girl and gently laid her on the bed, not missing the constant shivering running through her body.

Kurama brusquely jerked his arm out of Yusuke's hold. "Your questions will wait, boy." The redhead growled low, under his breath, before turning to face the girl, expression softening instantly. "Are you hurt?"

Amane shakes her head in negation, eyes jumping from Yusuke and Kurama, confusion evident. _'Aren't they angry at each other? How can he change emotion so quickly? What's going on with them?' _

Hiei steps over to the window, folding his arms as he began his usual habit of gazing out of the window, or at least made a show of it. _"Kurama,"_ Hiei spoke telepathically, _"She's shaking badly and she feels too light. Her ki, as well, it's barely noticeable. She's been neglected, for who knows how long." _

Kurama gave the slightest of nods. _"Well, that stops now." _"Kuwabara, could you go fetch Mukuro and ask her to have her cook something for Amane, please?"

Wordlessly, Kuwabara did as requested, practically running out of the room, more from fear of a death-glare than anything. Well, at least he has some common sense.

* * *

"Come on, man!" Yusuke prodded at Kurama. "I think I should know about the demon I fought so damned hard to rescue." He took a stab, trying to outwit any of Kurama's inevitable excuses, though her knew he had little chance.

"Yeah! We had to fight a lot of creeps, Kurama!" Kuwabara was trying to help, really, he was.

Kurama sighed and, quickly giving Hiei a pointed glance, he rose from the bed. "You really are stubborn, Yusuke." He sounded only mildly angry, or so Yusuke hoped.

"You better believe it!" Yusuke grinned foolishly, trying to look confident and relaxed, not intimidated… like he actually was. Can't blame him, Kurama could be downright terrifying when he wanted to be.

Kurama shook his head, sighing. "Fine, but—"

"Where is she!?" The door slammed open, Koenma strode in gracefully but hurriedly, tall in his teenage form, Botan shuffling close behind. Kuwabara groaned under his breath. Yusuke cursed slightly, knowing the fox demon would use this as yet another delay. Hiei snickered quietly at their frustration; he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the show.

"Is this her?" Koenma pointed at a petrified Amane sitting up in bed.

"Yes, Koenma, that is Amane." Kurama sighed, relieved for the temporary escape.

"See, Koenma, I told you!" Botan chirped, grinning as she fairly bounced over to the bed beside Amane leaning a little too close for Amane's liking. Koenma closed in on the nervous youko as well, blatantly looking her over, nodding to the ferry girl.

"I see, you were right." Koenma grinned at the girl, liking what he saw, and obviously thinking a smile would help ease her mind. His efforts were in vain, however, as Amane stayed stock still, doing a wonderful impression of a deer in headlights, she really was petrified, literally and figuratively.

"Koenma, you are scaring her." Kurama gently informed the over-excited junior god. Hiei smirked, Koenma sweat-dropped, head dropping momentarily in embarrassment.

"Oh, right, sorry about that." The godling straightened and stepped back while Botan sat at the foot of the bed.

"You probably don't recognize me, I left before you woke up." Botan beamed at her, yet another attempt at easing the girl's mind.

Amane shook her head slowly, perplexed.

"You don't know me, but I'm the one that found you. I've been looking for you for…" Koenma stopped as he felt a heated glare from the resident plant-controller. "Well, that doesn't really matter, anyway, I am Koenma, junior god of Spirit World. It's a pleasure to meet you." Koenma smiled pleasantly around the pacifier forever in his mouth.

Amane's eyes widened at Koenma's introduction. "Wait… g-god of Sp-Spirit World!? But I'm not dead!" Amane edged back into the headboard.

Koenma and the group laughed, even Hiei chuckled a bit. "No, no. No need to worry, I'm not here on business, just visiting. I'm just here as a friend to these ruffians here." He jerked his thumb behind him towards the team.

"Hey!" Yusuke and Kuwabara shouted simultaneously, fuming as they glared at the junior god. These 'ruffians' had saved this godling's behind more than once!

Koenma smiled uneasily, waving his hands in front of him defensively. "Aw, come on, guys, it was a joke!"

"Boys! Please! You'll scare the poor girl!" Botan jumped into the stare-down, desperately trying to calm the two over reactive, idiotic fighters.

"Hn. Let them go at each other, at least it will be entertaining." Hiei scoffed from the window, smirking slightly.

"Hiei." Kurama, ever the peacemaker, reprimanded the fire demon softly. "Amane, don't mind them, they're just being—Are you all right?" Kurama rushed over to the bedside, putting a hand on the girl's back.

Hunched over, the youko was shaking uncontrollably, arms wrapped around herself, head down to her chest, almost in her knees as she pulled them up to her chest.

"Amane? Are you hurt? Is something wrong?" Kurama rubbed her back slowly. "Hey, Amane? Look at me. Are you hurt?"

Body still shaking, Amane shook her head, still keeping it down. By now, all eyes were on the shaking body on the bed, some in worry and others in curiosity.

"Hey, is she okay?"

Yusuke went to take a step towards the bed, intending to help. Amane flung back on her back, revealing tear-streaked cheeks, eyes clenched shut and cheeks red. She was biting her lip, the corners of her mouth turned up in a strained smile.

"Amane?"

"Ahahaha!!!" Amane burst out laughing, clutching her sides tightly as she rolled onto her side.

The others in the room looked at each other in confusion, Kurama sighed in relief, dropping his head slightly, smirking. Yusuke and Kuwabara fell to the floor as Koenma and Botan looked at each other.

"Did I do something?" Koenma asked the ferry girl, who simply shrugged back.

"What has gotten into that youko, Fox?" Hiei looked perturbed and annoyed as he looked on at the scene.

Kurama shook his head, smirking. "I have no idea."

"I-I'm s-sorry… " Amane took a deep breath, trying to quell her laughter. "It's just… it was so funny…"

"What was so funny?"

"You guys!" Amane pointed at Koenma, Yusuke and Kuwabara. Koenma flushed and looked at her in a stupor.

"Me?" Yusuke pointed at himself, dumbfounded, then broke out in a ridiculous grin. "Hey! I got her to laugh! Sweet!"

"Hey! She said me too!" Kuwabara knocked the gel-haired teen in the head, none-too gently either.

"Ow!"

"Boys!"

"Children!" Hiei shouted, long past annoyed by now. "Knock it off! Hn. I'm surrounded by buffoons." Hiei scoffed indignantly.

Amane choked on yet another bout of laughter, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. Hiei growled, glaring at the offender.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED

Please, review, I love hearing from my readers! I'm not sure when I'll next be able to write more, but i hope this chapter will appease your appetites, and get you thirsting for more!

ENJOY!!!


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